An Accessory For A Firearm

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an accessory for a firearm, such as a rifle, which has a stock having a fore end. The accessory includes a fore grip and a mounting assembly attached to an end of the fore grip. The mounting assembly includes a base having two protrusions extending outwards from the base to define a cradle there between for the fore end of the stock. The protrusions include apertures complementary to a band of a bridging member. The fore grip make it easier to carry the firearm and may include compartments for storage of accessories such as a bipod and the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an accessory for a firearm. The invention has particular application to the attachment of accessories to the fore end of the stock of a firearm such as a rifle.

BACKGROUND ART

Shooting and hunting are popular pastimes in many countries including New Zealand, Australia and United States, among others. Consequently, the manufacture and retail of firearms and related accessories is commercially significant.

For broader appeal, it is common to offer users of certain types of firearms, such as rifles, the ability to customise their weapon as much as possible to cater to their particular preferences.

It will be appreciated that most, if not all, rifles have a stock. The stock is the part of the rifle to which the barrel and firing mechanism is attached and which, in use, the user will hold the weapon when firing.

The stock of a firearm will typically have a butt, which is held against the shoulder when firing as well as what is referred to as a semi-grip, proximate the trigger of the mechanism. The trigger hand of the user will hold the weapon by the semi-grip when aiming the firearm.

The stock will also have a fore end ahead of the firing mechanism and extending under and in some cases surrounding, at least partially, the barrel of the firearm. When aiming the weapon, the user's other hand will hold the fore end of the firearm, ensuring its stability when it is fired.

In conventional firearms, the fore end of the gun stock is usually substantially parallel to the barrel of the rifle. Consequently, the user of the weapon will usually grip the rifle with one hand on the fore end of the stock.

One common way of customising a firearm is by offering alternative ways for a user to hold a weapon, by adding a fore grip to the fore end of the weapon such that the grip at is substantially perpendicular to the barrel. However, this is largely limited to semi-automatic military style weapons. Hunting and target rifles are much more conventional, despite the advantages of a fore grip.

The use of a fore grip depending downwards from the fore end of the gun stock allows the users to more comfortably carry and support the rifle when walking and firing the weapon, from both a prone and standing position.

Several systems exist to allow the attachment of the fore grip to a stock of a firearm. One such example of a system is disclosed in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0000174 ('174). This document describes a bi-pod fore grip have a mounting base constructed to engage a mounting rail of a firearm. However, this requires the use of screws to attach the fore grip, or to attach the mounting rail to which the fore grip is to be used, to the rifle.

Many rifle owners are gun collectors, who do not wish to permanently modify their weapons by drilling holes into the fore end of the gun stock in order to accept the use of screws to fasten the mounting rail or a fore grip to their rifle. Thus, prior art systems such as that described in '174 are relatively invasive ways in which to modify a firearm.

Furthermore, if the position of the fore grip on the stock has to be changed, for example to allow another person to use the firearm, this can be difficult to achieve without tools, particularly when in bush country.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinency of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.

Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an accessory for a firearm having a stock, wherein the stock includes a fore end,

the accessory including:

a fore grip; and

a mounting assembly attached to an end of the fore grip,

characterised in that

the mounting assembly includes a base, the base having two protrusions extending outwards from the base to define a cradle there between for the fore end of the stock, the mounting assembly also including a bridge spanning the two protrusions of the base.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an accessory for a firearm having a stock, wherein the stock includes a fore end,

the accessory including:

a fore grip; and

a mounting assembly attached to an end of the fore grip,

characterised in that

the mounting assembly includes a base having two protrusions, wherein the protrusions extend outwards from the base to define a cradle there between for the fore end of the stock, wherein the protrusions include apertures complementary to a band of a bridging member.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accessory for a firearm substantially as described above, wherein the mounting assembly also including a bridging member spanning the two protrusions of the base.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of attaching an accessory for a firearm, the firearm having a stock wherein the stock includes a fore end, and wherein the accessory includes a fore grip; and a mounting assembly attached to an end of the fore grip, the mounting assembly including the base, the base having two protrusions extending upwards from the base to define a cradle there between for the fore end of the stock, the mounting assembly also including a bridging member spanning the two protrusions of the base, the method including the steps of:

-   -   a) placing the fore end of the stock into the cradle of the         mounting assembly;     -   b) passing the bridging member over the barrel of the firearm;         and     -   c) securing the bridging member to the base, thereby clamping         the fore grip to the fore end of the stock.

The present invention provides a non-invasive way of securing an accessory, such as a fore grip, to the fore end of a gun stock of a firearm. This allows the user to modify the weapon according to their personal preference.

The invention is to be used with a firearm, such as a rifle. Reference shall now be made through out the remainder of the specification to the firearm being a rifle. However, this is not meant to be limiting and the invention may also be used with a shotgun, carbine or an assault rifle.

The invention is to be used to attach a fore grip to a rifle. It should be understood that the stock is the part of the rifle to which the barrel and firing mechanism is attached.

The stock will be understood to include a butt, which is held against the shoulder when in use, as well as a fore end, which is ahead of the firing mechanism and substantially under at least a portion of the barrel. In some firearms, the fore end may wrap around and enclose a substantial part of the gun barrel, if not all of the barrel.

The invention includes a fore grip.

The fore grip may take a variety of forms according to the requirements of the user and the way in which the fore grip is manufactured.

The fore grip may be a solid piece of material such as wood, plastics material, or metal. However, this is not meant to be limiting, and other materials such as carbon fibre or the like may also be used.

For example, the fore grip may be a simple cylindrical peg, dimensioned to approximate the span of a person's hand. In other embodiments, the fore grip may be configured to closely approximate the user's hand, including contours corresponding to the fingers and palm of the hand. In yet another embodiment, the fore grip may be a frame-like structure, which has the advantage of saving weight and material costs. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that the fore grip may ultimately take a variety of configurations depending on the preferences of the user and/or manufacturer.

However, it is not beyond the scope of the present invention that the fore grip includes additional modifications to suit the particular requirements of the user, and to allow further customisation of the rifle.

For example, the inventor envisages that in one embodiment, the fore grip may include a cavity into which telescopic extension legs are fitted. These may be extended as required, for example to support the rifle when holding it in a firing position for an extended period of time.

In another embodiment, the fore grip may be formed from two halves, each half linked to each other at an upper end via a hinge. When mounted to the rifle, the two halves may be hinged apart. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that this effectively forms a bi-pod for the rifle, useful when firing the rifle from a prone position. In some embodiments, the two halves of the fore grip may also include extension legs or the like in a manner similar to that described above.

In yet another embodiment, the fore grip may include a closable compartment into which further accessories may be placed. Examples of such accessories include additional ammunition, matches, rifle cleaning equipment, compasses and so on. The fore grip may also be adapted with a video camera for recordal purposes or a laser, which would assist in aiming. These examples are not meant to be limiting and persons skilled in the art will appreciate a wide range of accessories may be carried within the cavity.

The fore grip has an upper end, which in use is proximate the fore end of the stock of the rifle with which the invention is to be used, and a lower end.

The upper end of the fore grip includes the mounting assembly.

A mounting assembly should be understood to mean a construction which is configured to engage with the fore end of a gun stock.

In preferred embodiments, the fore grip and the mounting assembly is a one-piece component and therefore, the mounting assembly may be formed from the same material of the fore grip. As noted above, the material may be wood, plastics material, or metal. However, this is not meant to be limiting, and other materials such as carbon fibre or the like may also be used.

However, in some embodiments, the mounting assembly may be configured to be screwed or otherwise secured to the upper end of the fore grip, and thus the invention is a two-piece assembly as opposed to a unitary structure of a fore grip and mounting assembly. However, this is not meant to be limiting, and it is possible that the fore grip and mounting assembly may be three or more components depending on the production technique used for manufacturing the present invention or the firearm with which the invention is to be used.

The mounting assembly includes a base. The base has an upper surface which includes two protrusions extending upwards. It should be appreciated that the two protrusions define a cradle between them.

The dimensions of the base may vary depending on the materials used for its construction and the type of fire arm with which the invention is to be used. For example, the length of the base (parallel to the barrel), may be up to 100 millimetres, while its width may be up to 50 millimetres. However, this is not meant to be limiting.

In use, the fore end of the rifle is located within the cradle of the mounting assembly. The height to which the protrusions extend away from the base may vary according to the requirements of the user. However, it will be appreciated that the cradle will wrap around at least the lower portion of the fore end of the stock of the rifle. This provides a snug fit for the rifle.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the protrusions arise from two opposing sides of the base and may be thought of as a pair of arms.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, each side of the base is provided with two protrusions or arms. Rather than a single large arm for maximum contact with the fore end of the stock of the rifle, the two pairs of arms provide the benefits of increased contact but with minimal additional manufacturing material.

The configuration of the cradle may be substantially complementary to the fore end of a specific make and model rifle. Thus, manufacturers may make the present invention in a number of configurations, each configuration particular to a make and model. However, the present invention may also be manufactured in relatively generic sizes, and therefore is not limited to a particularly make and model of rifle.

The mounting assembly includes a bridging member, which shall now be referred to as a bridge for the remainder of the specification.

The bridge should be understood to mean a construction which, in use, spans the cradle of the mounting assembly, thereby enclosing the fore end and barrel of the rifle when it is situated within the cradle of the mounting assembly.

The mounting assembly may also include more than one bridge, depending on the materials used for manufacturing the bridge as well as the configuration of the mounting assembly.

The bridge will take a variety of forms depending on the configuration of the invention.

For example, in some embodiments of the present invention the bridge is a relatively rigid component of stainless steel, which is configured to be substantially complementary to the profile of the upper surface of the firearm with which the invention is to be used.

In this embodiment, the bridge includes apertures through which fasteners may pass and into complementary recesses in the upper surfaces of the base or protrusions. In this instance, it will be appreciated that the bridge and cradle effectively act as a clamp. The barrel is clamped against the base using the bridge.

However, the use of a rigid bridge is not meant to be limiting, and it is the inventor's preference to use a more flexible material to form the bridge, as this provide greater versatility when using the invention in allowing its placement along the fore end of the rifle. For example, the person using the fire arm may have short arms and thus prefer the fore grip to be positioned relatively close to the firing mechanism.

The bridge (or bridges, as the case may be) may be secured to the base in a number of ways, including fastening mechanisms such as nuts and bolts. For example, the fastening members may be wing nuts, which do not require the use of tools and therefore are easy to use when in bush country. However, this is not meant to be limiting.

For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the bridge may be a two-part assembly which includes a band, and a latching and/or locking mechanism. This is advantageous as it allows the position of the band, and therefore the bridge, to be adjusted relative to the size of the firearm with which the invention is to be used.

The latching mechanism may be an over-centre latch but this is not meant to be limiting and persons skilled in the art will appreciate suitable types of mechanisms which allow the bridge to be effectively adjustable.

For example, the locking mechanism may be a clamp tightened through the use of a screw or bolt in a manner similar to a hose clip or the like. Alternatively, the locking mechanism may be configured to engage with the band. For example, the band may include pins or the like along a portion of its length, the pins engaging with apertures on another portion of the band when the band overlaps.

The bridge may alternatively be a structure similar to a cable tie, which may be known in some jurisdictions as zip- or hose-ties. Examples of suitable cable ties include those manufactured by Dynamix™ although it will be understood that this is not meant to be limiting.

A cable tie is particularly useful as a bridge for the present invention as they can be easily and cheaply sourced and, if provided as a separate component, may be readily cut to separate the fore grip from the firearm when it is no longer required.

A cable tie should be understood to include an elongate band with a head at one end. The band has a serrated surface. The head has an aperture passing there through, and a pawl which is configured to engage and lock with the serrated surface of the band when it is passed through the head.

The inventor prefers cable ties of 6 to 9 mm width and 200 mm in length. However, this is not meant to be limiting and other widths and lengths may be used depending on the ultimate configuration of the invention and the firearm with which it is to be used.

In some embodiments, the cable tie may be integrated with the fore grip as a unitary one-piece structure. In this embodiment, the cable tie may be provided with releasable locking mechanisms so that the invention may be moved from one firearm to another as required without damaging the cable tie.

Alternatively, the cable tie may be supplied as a separate component which is attached to the fore grip as and when required.

Preferably, the cable tie is made from a suitably durable plastics material such as nylon or the like. In some embodiments, the cable tie may be UV treated to ensure that it does not become degraded through exposure to sunlight.

The use of latching and/or locking mechanisms for the bridge allows the user to adjust the dimensions of the cradle to correspond substantially with the cross-sectional area of the portion of the fore end of the stock with which the invention is to be used. For example, if the fore grip is to be positioned relatively close to the firing mechanism of the rifle, the fore end of the stock usually has a greater cross-sectional area than the barrel end of the stock. An adjustable or two-part bridge assembly allows the fore grip to be mounted to the rifle substantially anywhere along the fore end of the stock.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that many firearms have free floating barrels and thus clamping contact with the barrel, as in the embodiments described above, is undesirable, as this can affect the harmonics of the barrel.

In this instance, a two-part base assembly is particularly useful. It will be appreciated that these types of firearms do not fully enclose the barrel within the fore end of the stock. Thus, the fore end of the stock has an upper surface or ledge either side of the barrel. This upper surface is often referred to as the shoulder.

The base assembly includes an upper part and a lower part. The upper part is designed to sit atop of the barrel and at least a portion of the shoulder of the fore end of the stock. The clamping force of the bridge is applied to the shoulder of the stock, rather than the barrel. Thus, the harmonics of the barrel of the firearm is not affected.

When installing the invention on a rifle, the user will determine their preferred position for the fore grip along the fore end of the rifle stock. The mounting assembly will then be offered up to the fore end of the rifle stock, which will then be positioned within the cradle of the mounting assembly.

The bridge will then be passed over the top of the firearm and secured to the opposing side of the base. This effectively clamps the mounting assembly, and therefore the fore grip, to the rifle.

The invention offers a number of advantages, including:

-   -   offering the ability to customise the handling of the weapon to         the user's personal preference and body shape or size;     -   provides, for some users at least, an easier way of holding the         weapon;     -   a non-invasive method of attaching a fore grip to the fore end         of a stock of a firearm;     -   at the very least, the invention offers the public a useful         choice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front view of a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention (generally indicated by arrow 1) is illustrated in a front view in FIG. 1 and in a side view in FIG. 2.

The invention (1) includes a fore grip (2) descending from a mounting assembly (3) which includes a base (4). The base has two raised sides (4 a and 4 b in FIG. 1, only 4 b visible in FIG. 2) which, between them, define a cradle (5) for the fore end (6) of a stock of a firearm (7).

The mounting assembly (4) for the fore grip (2) also includes a bridge (8) formed from stainless steel or the like. The bridge spans the cradle (5), effectively enclosing a portion of it.

It will be recognised that the bridge (8), when secured with fasteners, such as wing nuts (9) co-operating with threaded shafts (9 a) in the sides (4 a, 4 b) of the base (4), goes over the barrel (10) of the firearm (7) in use, effectively clamping the fore grip (2) in place. It will be seen that the bride is profiled to suit the barrel of the firearm.

The fore grip (2) may include additional modifications. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the fore grip is split into two halves (2 a and 2 b in FIG. 1, only 2 b visible in FIG. 2) linked at the upper end by a hinge (11, not visible in FIG. 2). When the two halves are hinged apart, the fore grip effectively becomes a bi-pod, useful for when shooting from a prone position.

Each half (2 a, 2 b) of the fore grip (2) may include extension legs (12) to allow the height of the bi-pod to be increased if desired. The way in which the bridge (8) engages with the firearm is an important part of the invention as it does away the need to drill holes in the fore end of the stock itself in order to attach the fore grip.

An alternative embodiment (13) is illustrated in FIG. 3. Here it will be seen that this embodiment includes a base (14) is formed from two parts (14 a, 14 b).

The first part (14 a) is the lower part, from which a fore grip (15) descends. The second part (14 b) is the upper part, which is substantially complementary to the upper surfaces (16) of the fore end (16 a) of the firearm (17) with which the invention (13) is to be used.

Fasteners (18 a, 18 b) pass through both the lower (14 a) and upper parts (14 b) of the base (14) and the bridge (19) of the invention (13). This provides a more enclosed and restrictive cradle for the firearm (17), although maybe more expensive to manufacture due to the increased number of parts.

However, this configuration is particularly useful for firearms having free floating barrels, the harmonics of which would be affected by a clamping force being applied to the barrel. Instead, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the clamping force is applied to the upper surface (or shoulders) (16) of the fore end (16 a) of the firearm (17), rather than to the barrel (21) itself, as with the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The fore grip is shown as effectively solid components in FIGS. 1 to 3, but this is simply one way of performing the invention.

Turning now to FIG. 4, an embodiment (22) formed from plastics material is depicted. It will be seen that the fore grip (23) is simply an open frame work with a reinforcing strut (24). This has the advantage of requiring less plastic material for moulding the fore grip.

Yet another embodiment (25) is illustrated in FIG. 5. Like the previous embodiments described, it includes a fore grip (26) and a base (27) with two sides (27 a, 27 b) defining a cradle (28) there between.

However, in this embodiment (25), the bridge (29) encompasses much more of the base (27). This embodiment is designed to be more flexible in its placement along the fore end of the gun stock of the firearm (not shown).

The bridge (29) is a band of stainless steel, similar to that found on hose clamps, rather than the inflexible and rigid bridges of the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

The band of the bridge (29) passes through a clamping mechanism (30) secured to a side (27 b) of the base (27). The clamping mechanism is tightened via a screw (31), with the other end of the bridge secured (31) to the opposite side (27 a) of the base (27).

The fore end of many firearms taper progressively away from the firing mechanism. Therefore, the cross-section of the fore end of the gun stock may become smaller as it progresses towards the muzzle end of the firearm. The adjustable bridge (29) of FIG. 5 allows the user to position the fore grip (26) anywhere along the fore end of the gun stock (not shown), according to his or her personal preference, which may depend on their body size and age.

A further embodiment of the invention (32) is illustrated in FIG. 6, in which will be seen that the invention is a stylish moulding of plastics material.

This particular embodiment shares many of the features of the previous embodiments described.

It has a base (33) and protrusions in the form of curved left (34) and right arms (35) which define a cradle (36) for the firearm (not shown) with which it is to be used. The upper surface (33 a) of the base includes moulded ridges (33 b) for frictional resistance.

The arms (34, 35) include upper ends (34 a, 35 b) moulded with apertures (34 b, 35 b). These apertures allow the use of a bridge, in the form of cable ties (not shown in FIG. 6), in order to secure the invention to the fire arm.

It will be appreciated that a conventional cable tie (not shown) includes a head and a band, with the band having a serrated surface. The head has an aperture passing there through, the interior of which is provided with a flexible pawl to engage and lock with the serrated surface of the band.

When used with the embodiment (32) of FIG. 6, the band (not shown) of the cable tie (not shown) is passed through the apertures (34 b, 35 b) of the arms (34, 35). The head (not shown) of the cable tie bears against the underside (34 c) of the aperture of the left arm (34) (or the right (35) as the case may be), which is dimensioned to only allow the band through.

The band (not shown) is then wrapped about the underside of the arms (34, 35), which are recessed to form a channel (34 d—not visible on right arms 35), and then passed through the interior of the head of the cable tie (not shown). This locks the invention (32) to the fire arm (not shown). In some embodiments, the aperture (35 b) of one of the upper ends of the arms of the cradle (36) may be provided with a pawl (not visible) to engage and lock with the serrated surface of the band (not shown).

When the fore grip is no longer required, the cable tie can simply be cut, or if provided, a release mechanism in the cable tie operated to release the band.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims thereof. 

What I/We claim is:
 1. An accessory for a firearm having a stock, wherein the stock includes a fore end, the accessory including: a fore grip; and a mounting assembly attached to an end of the fore grip, the mounting assembly including a base having two protrusions, wherein the protrusions extend outwards from the base to define a cradle there between for the fore end of the stock, and wherein the protrusions include apertures complementary to a band of a bridging member.
 2. An accessory as claimed in claim 1 wherein the fore grip has an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper end of the fore grip includes the mounting assembly.
 3. An accessory as claimed in claim 2 wherein the lower end of the fore grip includes telescopically extendable legs.
 4. An accessory as claimed in either claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the fore grip is formed from two halves, wherein each half is linked to the other at the upper end via a hinge.
 5. An accessory as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the base includes an additional two protrusions extending outwards from the base.
 6. An accessory as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the mounting assembly also includes a bridging member spanning the two protrusions of the base, wherein the bridging member includes a band.
 7. An accessory as claimed in claim 6 wherein the band includes a latching and/or locking mechanism.
 8. An accessory as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the bridging member is a cable tie having a head and a band.
 9. An accessory as claimed in claim 8 wherein the apertures of the protrusions are complementary to the band of the cable tie.
 10. An accessory as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the protrusions include an upper end, wherein the apertures pass through the upper end.
 11. A method of attaching an accessory for a firearm, the firearm having a stock wherein the stock includes a fore end, and wherein the accessory includes a fore grip; and a mounting assembly attached to an end of the fore grip, the mounting assembly including a base having two protrusions, wherein the protrusions extend outwards from the base to define a cradle there between for the fore end of the stock, and wherein the protrusions include apertures complementary to a band of a bridging member, wherein the band also includes a latching and/or locking mechanism, the method including the steps of: a) placing the fore end of the stock into the cradle of the mounting assembly; b) passing the bridging member over the barrel of the firearm; and c) securing the bridging member to the base by passing the band of the bridging member through the latching and/or locking mechanism, thereby clamping the fore grip to the fore end of the stock.
 17. An accessory for a firearm substantially as herein described in the best modes section of the specification and with reference to the accompanying figures.
 18. A method of attaching an accessory for a firearm substantially as herein described in the best modes section of the specification and with reference to the accompanying figures. 